GIRLS SOCCER: South Torrance will take a draw over a drawback to Palos Verdes

After yet another draw, South Torrance girls soccer coach Brad Gomez joked the school should change its name to the South Ties.

After all, it was the team's fifth stalemate this season.

Yet the Spartans said they will happily take this draw after giving up two early goals.

Korie Bozart and Hayley Suart scored goals to help South forge a 2-2 nonleague tie Friday afternoon at Palos Verdes and remain unbeaten.

"It's another tie," Bozart conceded, "but it is better than a loss."

After PV's early surge, South (6-0-5) felt fortunate to be playing for a tie.

Tara Dornblaser scored twice in a 3-minute span in the first half off Nikki Rosen feeds in the 14th and 16th minutes for PV (4-3-5) for a 2-0 lead.

"I had a lot of energy before the game, and I had a feeling I was going to score," Dornblaser said. "But this is kind of frustrating. I was trying to fight back to get a third goal, but it was pretty hard there. They were coming at us."

South charged back from its largest deficit this season. It started with Bozart, who had just entered the match as a substitute.

Bozart took a pass from Jessica Nakae and made a strong run down the left side of the field before launching a shot into the goal in the 29th minute as South closed within 2-1.

"When they put me in, I knew I had to change the game somehow and score," Bozart said.Suart provided the late heroics.

Nakae intercepted a pass and charged down the field. She sent a strong pass to a streaking Suart in stride. Suart blasted a shot that ricochetted off PV goalkeeper Traci Hirokawa's hand and into the goal in the 69th minute.

"In the end, we came back like we always do."

"This game started out negative, but then we brought it up and had a lot of positive energy ," Suart said. "When I was running on the play, I heard my coach Brad yell, `Come on Hayley, change the game.' So I tried."

South has been dealing with several injuries.

In addition to forward Kalyn Kaemerle being out until January with a leg injury, South was missing defender Charlie Tavormina, who had been injured but was on a family trip Friday. Defender Morgan Mullin returned after missing Wednesday's match, but left in the 20th minute.

Gomez praised Anju Takei and freshman Kelsie Bozart for stepping up on the back line. Goalkeeper Kylie Christian made four saves, including one at point-blank range.

"Anju's stepped in all week, and the youngest Bozart too," Gomez said. "Not many girls can step in as a freshman against the likes of Peninsula, PV and Redondo like it's no big deal."

Though PV impressed against a top South Bay team, PV coach Sean Lockhart said his team is still looking for a complete performance.

"We can play and knock the ball around and do some good things, but soccer is not about style points," Lockhart said. "Our movement and patterns are great, and we have created a number of chances, but we've lacked that finishing touch."